FE Week E203
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Award-winning journalism from the only newspaper dedicated to further education and skills FEWEEK.CO.UK | MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2017 | EDITION 203 work experience be fair: inequity FE commissioner revolution feels like bias interventions Page 20 Pages 12 & 13 Page 8 sector in shock Apprenticeship register winners and losers Dozens of major colleges stunned after rejection One director successful with three untested firms Shadow minister brands process an ‘omnishambles’ Exclusive See investigation on pages 4 & 5 THE BIGGEST APPRENTICESHIP HEADLINE SPONSOR CONFERENCE OF THE YEAR. #FEWEEKAAC17 20 KEYNOTE SPEAKERS | 75+ WORKSHOPS | 50+ EXHIBITORS | 1,200 DELEGATES 22-24 MARCH, 2017 | ICC, BIRMINGHAM | FIND OUT MORE AT FEWEEKAAC.COM 2 @FEWEEK FE WEEK MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2017 Edition 203 Meet the news team feweek.co.uk Ofqual 15 (9%) QAA 3 (2%) Contributors Nick Linford Paul Offord Institute for Apprenticeships TBC 58 (36%) EDITOR DEPUTY EDITOR 26 (16%) @NICKLINFORD @PAULOFFORD [email protected] [email protected] Ruth Professional Bodies 28 (17%) Employer-led Sparkes approaches 32 (20%) Please inform the FE Week editor of any errors or issues of concern regarding this publication. Page 14 Apprenticeship reforms: Cath Murray Tom Mendelsohn Analysis exposes quality FEATURES EDITOR SUB EDITOR and assessment concerns Rod @CATHMURRAY_NEWS @TOM_MENDELSOHN [email protected] [email protected] Pages 6-7 Natkiel Page 14 Alix Robertson Jude Burke graham REPORTER REPORTER @ALIXROBERTSON4 @JUDEBURKE77 taylor [email protected] [email protected] Page 20 Outrage at decision to widen admissions for small sixth form Sam Billy Camden Sam King Page 8 REPORTER REPORTER Parrett @BILLYCAMDEN @KINGSAMANTHA_ Provider type Grade 1 or 2 [email protected] [email protected] Page 20 UTCs 45% The team Head designer: Nicky Phillips FE colleges 68% Designer: Matthew Willsone Shane Mann Photographer: Ellis O’Brien MANAGING DIRECTOR Financials: Helen Neilly Under half inspected Sales manager: Vikrant Bassi @SHANERMANN ITPs 83% FEATURED Sales executive: Bridget Stockdale [email protected] UTCs ‘good’ or CAMPUS Administration: Frances Ogefere Dell ROUND-UP PA to managing director: Victoria Boyle ‘outstanding’ SFCs 87% Page 10 Page 23 Proportion inspected rated 'good' or 'outstanding' SUBSCRIBE JO Stay in the know with an FE Week subscription, BS PREMIUM JOB OPPORTUNITIES from as little as £1 per week. FE Week is the essential read for the FE & skills sector. THIS WEEK’S TOP AVAILABLE JOBS IN THE FE SECTOR. TO FIND OUT MORE INFORMATION PLEASE TURN TO THE CENTRE OF FE WEEK. OR VISIT THE WEB ADDRESS LISTED Visit feweek.co.uk/subscribe or email [email protected] STOKE ON TRENT COLLEGE ADVERTISE WITH US PRINCIPAL & CEO If you are interested in placing a product or job COMPETITIVE SALARY advert in a future edition please click on the http://bit.ly/2n3rEiW ‘advertise’ link at the top of the page on feweek. co.uk or contact: PROCAT E: [email protected] T: 020 81234 778 CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER CIRCA £100K PACKAGE http://bit.ly/2mNcuw8 Disclaimer FE Week is owned and published by Lsect Ltd. The views expressed within the publication are those of the authors named, and are not necessarily those of FE Week, Lsect Ltd or any of its employees. While we try to ensure that BRIDGWATER & TAUNTON COLLEGE the information we provide is correct, mistakes do occur and we cannot guarantee the accuracy of our material. VICE PRINCIPAL The design of the printed newspaper and of the website is copyright of Lsect Ltd and material from the newspaper should not be reproduced without SIX FIGURE SALARY prior permission. If you wish to reproduce an article from either the printed paper or the website, both the article’s author and FE Week must be http://bit.ly/2mnlZla referenced (to not do so would be an infringement on copyright). Lsect Ltd is not responsible for the content of any external internet sites linked to. Please address any complaints to the editor. Fe week is proud to LET ME PLAY LTD be a member of 18 JOB OPPORTUNITIES COMPETITIVE SALARY Learning & Skills Events, Consultancy and Training Ltd 161-165 Greenwich High Road London SE10 8JA TO ADVERTISE YOUR VACANCY WITH EDUCATION WEEK JOBS AND FE WEEK T: 020 8123 4778 PLEASE CALL 020 81234 778 OR EMAIL [email protected] E: [email protected] , let s get to work. We can support you in navigating the apprenticeship levy opportunity. NCFE is an approved end-point assessment organisation currently on the register for the Talk to us at following subject areas: The Annual • Customer Service Apprenticeship • Business, Leadership and Management Conference, • Hospitality 22 - 24 March at • Professional Services Stand C3. Visit: levy.ncfe.org.uk Email: [email protected] Call: 0191 240 8950 Navigate your Apprenticeship Levy opportunity. CACHE operates in the following areas: • Health and Social Care • Childcare Speak to us • Dentistry at The Annual • Education and Training Apprenticeship Conference, Visit: levy.cache.org.uk 22 - 24 March at Email: [email protected] Stand C3. Call: 0191 240 8950 4 @FEWEEK FE WEEK MONDAY, MARCH 20, 2017 Investigates Sector in shock: Apprenticeship provider register winners and losers One director successful with three untested firms indication of how thorough the checking Paul offord @Paulofford exclusive process has been.” Jude Burke @Judeburke77 Cranage, Obscurant, and Tatton Solutions Billy Camden @BillyCamden FROM FRONT were all incorporated between August and December 2015, and their first sets of annual he selection process for the new register accounts are due within months. of apprenticeship training providers Another private training provider, T has been branded an “omnishambles”, the Hertfordshire-based Apple Training after providers with no delivery experience Academy, is on the RoATP despite having whatsoever have found their way onto it ceased trading, while the Essex-based Firm while numerous huge, established colleges Training only launched in February 2017 – have missed out. from a residential address (see boxout). Peter Sherry The Skills Funding Agency this A DfE spokesperson told FE Week that “all week published the full list of 1,708 providers were given a clear set of criteria Director on providers which will be eligible to deliver they had to meet, in order to ensure they On RoATP Company 1st accounts Registered Company name On Roto? Incorporated Companies apprenticeships from May, whittled down can receive public funds for apprenticeship main route? number due office House from 2,327 applications. training: due diligence, financial health, Many colleges with significant current capacity and quality”. apprenticeship allocations, including He continued: “We will provide 6 Royal Court, Martin Peter CRANAGE LTD No Yes 09918856 16/12/2015 16/09/2017 Bournemouth and Poole College, Hartlepool personalised feedback to all providers who WA16 6EN Sherry College, Birmingham Metropolitan College do not make it onto the register to help and Northbrook College (see page 10), have them understand what they need to do to be OBSCURANT 6 Royal Court, Martin Peter expressed dismay after they didn’t make it successful in the future.” Yes Yes 09718973 05/08/2015 05/05/2017 LIMITED WA16 6EN Sherry onto the list. The process was geared towards To add insult to injury, FE Week analysis “ensuring excellence for apprenticeship shows, for example, that one person provision”, and it “cannot compromise on TATTON 6 Royal Court, Martin Peter operating from a rented office in Knutsford, our commitment” to rigorous quality tests. No Yes 09718975 05/08/2015 05/05/2017 SOLUTIONS LTD WA16 6EN Sherry Cheshire has succeeded in getting their The director of Cranage, Obscurant, three companies, Cranage Ltd, Obscurant and Tatton Solutions is Peter Sherry, the Limited, and Tatton Solutions Ltd onto former chief executive of the National qualifications,” he added. “But in doing we come to them fresh and with a different the approved ‘main route’ register – even Skills Academy Logistics which went into those we want to see whether we can work approach.” though none of these companies has any liquidation in 2013 after the Skills Funding with a third party, maybe even a college or The inclusion of his firms on RoATP experience of running government-funded Agency pulled its financial support. another prime.” will surprise many in FE, who were led to apprenticeships. Obscurant is also on the old register of The SFA declined to comment on whether believe that only providers with a firm track The shadow skills minister Gordon training organisations (Roto) - but Cranage connected companies were supposed to record in delivering apprenticeships would Marsden told FE Week that the register was and Tatton are not. apply for the register, though Mr Sherry be allowed onto it, in order to maintain “looking like an omnishambles”. Mr Sherry confirmed that just 16 people said: “We are finding employers, now in quality. He continued: “I fear that this reflects the work across all three companies, but added control of apprenticeships funding, are Peter Lauener, the head of the SFA and concern I’ve been expressing for months that that with Cranage, which still has no official often now looking to work with a number of shadow chief executive of the Institute for the SFA just doesn’t have the resources to website, “we are still effectively looking at different specialist smaller companies. That Apprenticeships, told FE Week’s Annual carry out due diligence on this scale. where we will run”. is the model we plan to follow.” Apprenticeship Conference a year ago that “The SFA should now give a clear “We are looking at senior management He added: “Some employers see it as a the new register was being introduced “to massive advantage that you have not offered make sure any provider available for an apprenticeships previously.